Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Beloved by Toni Morrison. This American masterpiece and 1988 Pulitzer winner tells the story of Sethe, a woman who escaped from slavery to find freedom for herself and her children, only to be haunted by the traumas of her past. It’s a story of motherhood, womanhood, freedom, and redemption, and Morrison’s genius and language are incomparable. Today’s discussion includes:

Sara sharing her experience with teaching this book and why it’s the perfect book to bring into the classroom [4:10]
Reading Beloved symbolically and being okay with not understanding everything [10:30]
Each of us sharing why we love Toni Morrison and why this book might just be THE Great American Novel [36:03]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic including a heartbreaking work of middle grade fiction and a debut novel from an award-winning nonfiction writer.